Finca Sandoval La Rosa 2021

The single-vineyard 2021 La Rosa comes from the plot called La Casilla de don Tomás, planted in 1939 with mixed varieties, mostly Bobal but with some 10% whites on limestone gravel soils. It fermented with 50% full clusters with indigenous yeasts, with malolactic in stainless steel and élevage in a 2,500-liter French oak foudre, a change from the previous year. It's reticent, closed and serious, with less ripeness than the 2019, with nice structure and abundant, fine, slightly dusty tannins. It doesn't have the finesse of the Finca Sandoval; it has a little more rusticity and earthiness. This vineyard was affected by hail in 2020, so they didn't produce this wine in that vintage; and the same thing happened in 2023. This is still very young, but it should develop nicely in bottle and gain complexity. 3,300 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2022.